Christmas Planning

Christmas is around the corner. 

What? Are you kidding me?

Nope.

Decorations and trees will pop up before long, along with Halloween and Thanksgiving decor.

Holidays are the biggest season for retailers. They plan early and start early.

It's July and I'm longing for cool weather. Mind you, down here in Houston, we don't have much of it, even at Christmas, but I hate hot. And we have plenty of that.

I decorate my mantle at Thanksgiving and then again a few weeks later at Christmas.

When I took this picture, it was too warm for a fire, even in November.

Here's my mantle today. I'll ask hubby to climb to the attic and bring down holiday supplies soon. I decorate it differently each year. Probably because I can't remember from one year to the next how I did it the year before.

I long for slow, winter days. A cup of hot chocolate and a good book in front of a fire always hits my longing spot.

I'll settle for a Christmas book today. How about you? Want to read a fun, humorous, novella? I hope you'll read mine. I wrote this in the middle of summer last year and I had fun!  This rich, cowboy owns a ranch in Central Texas. That area of our state gets a bit more snow than here in the southern regions, but a blizzard in Texas?  I had to do research on that one. Ha! Remember, this book is a fantasy. 

Josiah, the cowboy, rescues two stranded strangers. He doesn't know it, but one is a haphazard angel. Sarah's assignment is to create romance between the cowboy and the human lady. Of course she goofs up.

2.99 on Amazon

Here's a scene. Sarah has taken the form of an elderly woman and calls herself Estella. "Estella" has befriended Emily and in this scene, she forgets who she is. 

“This certainly has been a surprising day. I went to work this morning expecting to meet my fiancé for lunch, and here I am at midnight sitting with strangers in an unexpected place.”

Sarah grinned. “Me too. I never know where God will place me next. I get teased from time to time. The Superiors often tell me they don’t know what I’ll do next in an unusual circumstance.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “I beg your pardon? I assumed you were retired. You have superiors who tease you?”

Sarah gulped. Poopty doopty. How did I forget my human disguise? I’m not talking to another angel friend. Emily is a human contact. “Oh pshaw! Don’t ya know? The supervisors at the nursing home never know what to expect from me.”

“You live in a convalescent center?”

“No. no. I just visit ‘em. Good place to meet eligible men, don’t ya know.”

Emily bit her lip as a grin emerged. “I suppose so. Is that where you met the boyfriend in Dallas?”

“No. I drifted down to Dallas and conjured him up at a restaurant, but it didn’t last long. I don’t suit his style. He thinks I’m a skinny old crow with no boobs. I don’t look hot, and he wants a racy, young trophy on his arm. My boyfriend is a bozo and so is yours. Too bad, but honey, you’ll find a man worthy of you.”

Emily nodded but grinned. “At least you know why your guy wasn’t interested. I don’t know why mine broke our engagement.” She glanced at her hand. “Oh! I’ve still got the ring on.” She removed it and jammed the thing into her handbag as if it were a hot potato. “Maybe I’ll sell it when I get to Austin. I have need for money and I don’t need an unwanted ring to remind me of a wretched day.” A tear escaped and Emily brushed it away.

“Well, dearie, you’ve got a marvelous idea there. The ring looks like it will bring more than pocket money. Maybe ya can trade in Old Girl and get ya a new buggy.”

Emily nodded. “That’s exactly what I’ll do. The money should make a down payment on a decent vehicle, but I’ve got to get a job first.”

CHRISTMAS IN JULY WITH SARAH!